Dharamsala: In a rare turn of events, the Cricket World Cup 2023 match between India and New Zealand was disrupted due to dense fog at Dharamsala's HPCA Stadium.
During India's pursuit of a 274-run target, they were at 100 for two in 15.4 overs when the dense fog enveloped the ground.
The poor visibility caused the umpires to halt the match temporarily, and players from both teams had to leave the field. At the time of the interruption, Virat Kohli (7 not out) and Shreyas Iyer (21 not out) remained at the crease, with India needing 174 runs in 34.2 overs to secure a victory.
Fans took to social media to respond to the unexpected weather event with a flurry of humorous memes. Many of these memes humorously referenced the Fogg deodorant ad slogan, "Hindustan me fogg chal raha hai," which roughly translates to "Fogg is in the air in India."
Despite the weather delay, India was in a strong position during the chase, reaching 168/3 in 30 overs.
In the match's initial innings, New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell (130 off 127 balls) and Rachin Ravindra (75 off 87 balls) rescued their team after a rocky start, contributing 159 runs off 152 balls for the third wicket partnership.
Indian pacer Shami (5/54) delivered a stellar performance with the ball, while other pacers Jasprit Bumrah (1/45) and Mohammed Siraj (1/45) also contributed effectively.
However, India's fielding proved to be subpar on this occasion, as they dropped three catches. Kuldeep Yadav (2/73) was the most expensive bowler but managed to take crucial wickets, including those of Tom Lathan and Glenn Phillips.